Legendary Components and Craftsmanship in a US
made rod : the 2005 St. Croix Legend Elite

Date:

10/26/05

Tackle type:

Rods

Manufacturer:

St. Croix

Reviewer:

Cal

Total Score:
8.83

Introduction: At the conclusion of 2004, we debuted an article reviewing St. Croix's new Legend Tournament Bass technique specific rods featuring their famous IPC technology and their new ART rod building process. We were so excited by this new line from St. Croix, that we decided to follow on to that article with the
acquisition of one of the new Legend Elite Series, St. Croix's top end offering.

St. Croix
Legend
Elite EC68MXF Specifications

Material

SCV Graphite

Length

6'8"

Pieces

One

Grip

Grade A Cork

Foregrip Length

2.5"

Reargrip Length

10"

Line Wt.

8 - 14 lbs

Lure Wt.

1/4 - 5/8 oz

Color

Pearl Brown

Guides

Fuji Ti Framed SiC Guides : 9 + tip

Power Rating

Medium

Action

Extra Fast

Rod Weight

3.8 oz

MSRP

$300

Impressions: St. Croix's goal of Japanese detailing with US
quality craftsmanship extends to their top end offering as our EC68MXF Legend Elite rod sports a very understated yet elegant detailing that, as time passes and you hold and fish with the rod, grows more and more endearing. This understated elegance is reminiscent of Japanese rod manufacturers Daiko and Evergreen more so than the intricate and coordinated Megabass rods.

Our St. Croix Legend Elite EC68MXF
test rod

Our EC68MXF arrived in impeccable order and as its understated design would have, we were at first, underwhelmed. But, taking the rod out on our first trip and reassessing it in the sun, we could see the pearlescent glow of the blank, and began to notice other design subtleties that really made us appreciate the craftsmanship of the rod. Overall balance and weight of the EC68MXF is very respectable which made us all the more anxious to get this stick out on the water for a test drive.

Paired with the Daiwa Alphas, the EC68MXF makes a great smallmouth and spotted bass rod

The Field Tests: The light weight and extra fast action tip of this rod had us thinking of battling feisty smallmouth and spotted bass in our local waters. As such, we spooled up one of our Daiwa Alphas with 8lb Yozuri Hybrid and headed to one of our local clear water
reservoirs, Folsom Lake, for an extended trip chasing after what we refer to as the triple crown of bass fishing (largemouth, smallmouth & spotted bass).

Clean detailing and subtle highlights abound on the new Legend Elite Series from St. Croix

Casting & Pitching: Among the offerings we tied on during our field tests with this rig were 1/4 oz finesse jigs, 4" weightless Senko's, small, finesse cranks, and
Texas rigged Zoom Baby Brush Hogs with 1/8oz brass bullet weights. As one would expect from a top end rod, our Legend Elite EC68MXF handled this variety of baits very well with our favorite being the finesse jigs and small Senko's.

Impressive
Specifications

Paired with the Daiwa
Alphas, we found ourselves
pitching more than casting
and dropping our baits right
up next to flooded trees and
bridge pilings. This 6'8"
stick proved to load easily
which allowed us the luxury
of very accurate
presentations.

A
close-up of the distinctive
reel seat on our Legend Elite EC68MXF

Sensitivity: Rated as a medium weight rod, we had very high
hopes for of our Legend Elite EC68MXF. We are pleased to say all expectations were met and even exceeded with some baits as we were able to feel everything from the very subtle vibration of our finesse cranks, to the soft landing of our jigs on the rocky surfaces below. In fact, at times it
almost felt as though we could feel the fish turning to look at our miniature Senko's on their descent into the crystal clear depths of Lake Folsom! Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but
to say we were pleased with the touch and feel this rod afforded us
would be an understatement.
This rod is exceptionally
sensitive!